


it's really quite obvious, isn't it?

by redledgers



Series: show me why [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, New Friends, and a hell of a lot of homework, new relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 06:39:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8361346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redledgers/pseuds/redledgers
Summary: 'i’m in the library researching for this giant assignment that’s 90% of my grade i haven’t slept or gotten anything beside coffee in two days i am going to explode in rage if you don’t shut the fuck up this SECOND’ auOr: Percy really just wants to get this paper finished for the love of god.





	

Percy _hates_ the library. A place full of silence and books and research is never exactly that, and is instead a social space for students out of class and the hub of group work. He has always maintained that if you must work on a group project, use a student lounge or someone’s apartment, especially since the Internet is a trove of information if one knew where to look, and there’s no need to sit and talk when one could be doing research. And research is precisely what Percy is doing in the stacks because he prefers books to computers, and there’s just some things the Internet can’t give someone context on. Especially for an extremely detailed paper worth the majority of his grade.

He pauses to take a sip of his espresso filled coffee mug and winces. It’s gone cold, but there’s nothing he can do about that, so he downs it quickly. He’s resigned himself to being here for even a few more hours—he’d come when the library opened, and it would close in about five hours. After the caffeine, he’s not sure how much time passed before someone’s voice breaks his concentration. He doesn’t really know what she’s saying, but he does know how to respond to her.

“Excuse me, but could you perhaps shut the fuck up? Is there something about a library that just invites conversation with those who are trying to study?” It’s terse, gets the point across, and most notably, he does not have to yell.

She gives him this _look_ and he almost regrets speaking without actually knowing what she was saying. “The library is closing and you’re the last one left. The janitor wants to go home.”

 _Oh._ Percy definitely regrets speaking. He takes a moment to collect himself and see exactly who interrupted him. She’s tall, and he thinks her long dark braid makes her look taller. She’s objectively attractive as well, despite the way she’s looking at him. “Sorry.” He gathers his things up as quickly as he can and neatly piles the books. “Might I put these on hold for tomorrow?”

“I don’t work here,” she says, folding her arms.

“Well, then I’ll have to leave a note at the desk with the books.” He doesn’t wait for her to do anything else (why should he?) and makes his way through the stacks to the circulation desk. He puts the books on the desk and leaves a delightful note telling them he’ll be back tomorrow morning and would like them to hold these books for him.

She follows him, and he’s amused that they have someone essentially escorting him out of the library. Percy was the only person who might actually try and sleep in a library though. His rambunctious roommates were enough to warrant leaving even if he did like using computers.

His roommates.

Percy turns to look at the girl again. “Do you happen to have a sibling?” he asks.

“Out.” She motions him toward the door. “And yes, I thought everyone here knew my twin brother and I.”

Apparently not him. Granted, he spent an awful lot of time in the labs when he wasn’t in his room, and he honesty didn’t care much for any of his roommates. Whatever they were doing wasn’t his business, and so he kept it that way. Alternatively, there was a possibility that this was Vax and he was tired enough to go along with this little show. He didn’t know.

But Percy complies, heading toward the exit. He’s not fast enough, and she all but shoves him out into the cool night air. It’s refreshing honestly, there’s something nice about the library but the stuffy air is only noticeable when one steps back out. He’s conscious of her standing right behind him, but he takes note and simply walks off to his dorm.

When he returns, he has absolutely no idea what’s happening. There’s some sort of athletic event happening in the living room, and he manages to slip by, grab _something_ out of the fridge, and make it into his room before they attempt to cajole him into joining. What he doesn’t notice is the girl following him. He doesn’t notice her sitting in the living room as he disappears into his bedroom.

Vax knocks on his door when the noise has quieted down and he’s resigned himself to attempting to sleep. “Percival?”

Percy is quiet, and Vax pokes his head in. “What do you want?”

“Just thought I’d let you know that my sister apparently didn’t tell you her name. It’s Vex. And she doesn’t appreciate it when you swear at her. Next time she’ll break your glasses. Or something else.” Vax waves and leaves as swiftly as he appeared.

Vex and Vax. If being twins wasn’t enough, their parents had to name them like that. Whatever. Percy sets an alarm for two hours before the library opens in the morning. The sooner he gets started tomorrow, the faster this paper will be finished.

Sleep is fitful as it always is for him, and he finds himself waking up too many times in the night to collect himself. Night terrors were no stranger but tonight they seemed to be thriving on the caffeine. After the seventh time, Percy decides he’s had enough, and resigns himself to getting up earlier than planned. The coffee shop should be open anyway, it’s only five and the library opens at nine.

He drags himself out of bed and steps over the sprawled form of someone who definitely doesn’t live in this dorm on his way to the bathroom. A cold shower wakes him more, and he grabs his bag.

Campus is quiet this early—there’s no need to be awake before noon on a Saturday for anyone in college. He takes advantage of this, strolling the long way to the café just on the outskirts of campus. A barista tiredly takes his order and he sits near the entrance to eat and drink. He doesn’t taste any of it, but it helps, and he eventually walks back to the library. It won’t open for another three hours, so he sits on the curb and pulls out his notes. No harm in starting to sketch out the format of his paper while he has this extra time. He can’t do his lab homework anyway until Tuesday.

Halfway through he gets distracted by a thought, and flips to his science notes section. If he just adjusts _two_ things on this formula, he could create something completely different, which could aid in solving yet another problem the chemistry teacher proposed.... He’s mid equation when something, no _someone_ , actually _lands_ beside him. It’s enough to startle him into dropping his notes and just barely keeping his coffee from spilling.

“You’re back,” she says, leaning to pick up his notes for him.

He takes them from her indignantly. “Yes, I suppose I am.” So is she, but it seems obvious, so he doesn’t point it out.

“Do you eat anything at all?” she asks, flipping her braid over her shoulder. Percy has decided that this is most certainly Vax’s twin sister, and he wonders why he’s never seen her around.

“I _do._ ”

“How long are you planning to be in the library then? Because I don’t think the leftover coffee you have is going to cut it.”

Gods, she’s annoying. Percy elects to ignore her and instead makes sure his notes are in order. When he looks up again, she’s vanished.

 

 

 

Two days later he sits outside in the quad, succumbing to a laptop solely to write his paper and quickly confirm specific facts without looking through his notes. His paper is due at noon tomorrow, but he’s never had a problem writing this way. It’s only a twenty-page paper anyway. His thesis is _much_ longer.

The branches above him rustle and he thinks nothing of it until a small bunch flutter down onto his laptop. When he looks up, he sees Vex staring down at him. “Do you just live in the trees?” he calls up.

She disappears and reemerges a moment later, sitting beside him. “You’re not asking why I’m following you around.”

Okay. “Why are you following me around?”

"I’m honestly not. You sat down an hour ago. I’ve been here three hours. It’s more interesting to frighten freshmen when they don’t know why the trees are yelling at them.” She sits easily against the tree trunk and watches him carefully.

Percy is honestly intrigued, and he can’t say that about many people. “Well if you could stop doing whatever it is that you’re doing for long enough for me to write ten pages, I’ll take you to lunch.”

She seems wary. “How many pages have you written?”

“Three. But I should be finished with the next seven in two hours if that.”

He watches her stand. “See you in two hours then, darling.” And then she’s gone.

Percy shakes his head. He pushes her distraction from his mind and continues to work. It only takes him an hour and a half, so he uses the extra time to jot down additional notes and pack his bag. She returns almost exactly two hours after she left, and pulls him up off the ground.

“There’s a pizza place just off campus that’s really good,” she says, steering him in a random direction.

Percy hadn’t thought of a place, so he agrees. He expects her to chatter the entire way, but she’s silent as she leads him to a brick pizza restaurant. The only discussion had when they arrive is what sort of pizza to order. She opts to split one with toppings, and he doesn’t mind.

“Why do you spend so much time in the library?” she asks while they wait.

“Because I have a paper, there are books in the library, and sometimes one has to research before writing things.” He says it matter-of-fact.

She wrinkles her nose. “That’s what the Internet is for. You know they have books online now, right?”

“Of course I do!” Percy pouts. He earns a wink.

“It’s probably hard doing work in your dorm, isn’t it? You picked a hell of a group of roommates if you wanted to actually get studying done.” Vex taps her fingers and watches him like he’s some science experiment.

“I didn’t pick them. I transferred here this semester.” Percy shifts uncomfortably.

“So _that’s_ why I don’t know you from anywhere. Well then, welcome to this shithole of a college.”

“It’s really not _that_ bad,” he starts, but their order number is called and she darts away to collect a large pizza that’s half cheese and half…whatever she ordered.

“So what’s your story then? You dress better then ninety percent of the kids on campus. A state school doesn’t seem like your sort of area of expertise.” She pulls a slice and eats it.

“I needed a change of venue.” That much was true. There are things he doesn’t want or need to tell her because she doesn’t need to know. She’s a stranger. An attractive stranger and the twin sister of one of his roommates, but that doesn’t warrant his backstory.

After that though, he finds it quite easy to be in her company. Vex doesn’t pry, mentions both she and her brother are here on scholarship, but mostly keeps topics light. He discovers she spends quite a lot of time in his dorm room because she’s close with her brother, and when she’s not there, she’s helping out at the zoo a few miles away from campus. Percy manages conversation well enough, and he’s a little sad when they finish eating and Vex declares she has to go to class.

“Good luck with your paper,” she says, winking again. Percy gives her a little wave, and she walks away.

If he’s being honest with himself, he’s not surprised when he finds a way to ask her to lunch a second time. (If he decides he loves the way her eyes light up when she tells him about the animals at the zoo while they eat beside one of the food trucks parked near the giraffes then he’ll bury it because this _must_ be what having a friend is like.)

Once he catches Vax giving him a look when he emerges from his room to go to class. He doesn’t think twice about it. Another time he comes back from the lab and she’s sprawled on the living room couch. Vax braids her hair and she winks and offers a small finger wave her brother won’t notice.

He realizes he’s in deep when she kisses his cheek after one of their newly established study sessions at the library. Her glare is effective enough to get those around them to be quiet, and Percy finds he enjoys spending silent time with someone else. And when they exit the library at closing time, he stops her from heading to her dorm.

“I have an early shift at the zoo tomorrow,” she says, shifting the weight of her books.

“I know.” He steps forward a bit and kisses her gently. It almost doesn’t qualify as a kiss because of how lightly he presses his lips to hers.

She pulls at the end of her braid. “See you later.”

If he doesn’t catch her glancing back at him when he walks toward his dorm, it doesn’t matter.

 

 

 

It’s almost accidental the next time they kiss. Vex kisses like a hurricane and she can barely steer him toward his bedroom door. Somehow they’re in and she’s gasping for breath when the door closes. Her fingers scrabble for purchase on his shirt, and Percy wonders if this is just in his imagination. His imagination, he decides, is not this creative, not when it comes to relationships. She manages to get it unbuttoned while he kisses her again, hungry and desperate for more of whatever _this_ was. He feels like his brain is firing so many different commands at the same time, and he doesn’t know which one to listen to first.

When she pushes his shirt off his shoulders, his brain kicks into gear. There’s no reason he should be the only one without clothes on, so as soon as he shrugs off his shirt, he pulls at hers. Vex is all too willing to comply, and suddenly there’s _skin_ and it’s _soft_ and his brain shorts out again because she’s placed her palms on his stomach and is pushing him toward his bed. Percy trips over his pants as he backs up because apparently she’d been busy trying to get those off him as well. He steps out of them and sits heavily.

She’s beautiful like this, he thinks, flushed and breathless, braid unraveling. He imagines he looks similar because she pushes her fingers into his hair as she stands over him. Percy tries to pull her down, but she stands her ground.

“You forgot something.”

What had he forgotten? He takes stock of himself: tousled hair and underwear accounted for. Glasses: not broken yet. Then her. Oh. After a moment’s effort, he gets her ripped jeans undone and halfway down her legs. She steps out of them, and he stops breathing.

Vax is going to _kill_ him.

He doesn’t know if he actually says that out loud or she sees it in his face (she’s awfully perceptive) but she starts laughing. It’s a beautiful sound, and he’s caught up in the moment when she climbs right on top of him. Her nose bumps his chin and it’s so not elegant in the least, but she keeps laughing as she gives him short, soft kisses.

It takes a little willpower and thought to move so she can sprawl over him on the bed. His hands are everywhere, learning the curves and edges of her body, and she’s pressed up against him as if they’re stuck in a tight room and she has no other choice than to invade his space.

“Shit,” she breathes. “You’re rather gentle, darling.”

His brows furrow. “Do you want me to be?”

Vex laughs again and removes his glasses carefully. “In my experience the guys are rougher than the girls are.”

“Oh.” She’s blurry now.

“Mmm, but don’t let that stop you from doing whatever you’re doing.” She kisses his nose and wiggles.

Vax is going to kill him if he doesn’t die first right here.

He kisses her as languidly as he dares, brushing fingertips against soft skin so she’s huffing breaths and small noises into his mouth. He tries to unclasp her bra, and she bites down on his shoulder _hard_. “None of that, Percival.”

He should be offended that she basically _tsks_ at him but he withdraws his hands because he isn’t a jerk. But he is a little sad when she climbs off of him to nestle into his side. He shifts to make it more comfortable, and she props her head on his chest. He’s going to need a minute before he looks at her again.

When he does, he’s greeted with a tired smile. It was late, although he often spent late nights in the labs or designing things, but he suspected Vex didn’t usually spend a lot of time being awake past midnight. He tucks stray hairs that escaped from her braid behind her ear. “You are welcome to stay,” he says softly.

“I intend to.” She yawns, and he holds onto her until they both fall asleep.

At some point in the wee hours of the morning, Vax pokes into the room. “Percival,” he says. Then, “Well,” when he notices his sister sprawled out on top of Percy. He picks up Percy’s shirt and flicks it onto the bed.

When Percy sees it in the morning, he knows it wasn’t supposed to be there, and he’s embarrassed. Vex shrugs and slips it on, buttoning it over her underwear. She kisses his cheek and saunters away, presumably to the living room. Percy runs his hands through his hair and fumbles for his glasses. He realizes how deep he’s in this, and he doesn’t want to leave. In fact, he wants breakfast and he wants to kiss Vex’ahlia again because she is something he most definitely doesn’t deserve.

He dresses himself, ducks into the bathroom to splash water on his face, and emerges to see Vax fixing his sister’s braid and Grog trying not to stare at her. She’s eating a bowl of cereal and winks at him. Great. He pours himself a bowl of cereal as well, nearly spilling the milk when Vax says, “Fun night?”

“Better than you had,” Vex replies, thankfully sparing Percy.

Percy slinks over and sits on the far side of the couch. Vex pokes him with her toes but he refuses to meet her gaze.

“Aww look at him.” Vex leans forward, forcing Vax to relinquish his hold on her braid. She also gives Percy a great view down the shirt when he does glance her way. “It’s honestly okay, Percival. You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

“I’m not,” he mumbles.

“Vex’ahlia, you know I love you, but I don’t want to witness you tease the poor kid.”

“I’m not a tease, brother dear.” Vex settles back against Vax’s shins, dropping the half finished braid in front of him. “I’m teaching him that it’s not shameful to want to fuck your roommate’s sister.”

Vax swats at her and she laughs, careful not to spill her cereal.

Percy is suddenly not hungry anymore. Would he ever have had such a cavalier conversation with his siblings? Probably not, it wasn’t proper to discuss certain things in front of family. But Vex and Vax were close, closer than he’d ever be to his remaining sister, and for them, this is normal. Percy honestly wondered why he hadn’t even gotten to know his roommates. He didn’t think they were below him, but he was so busy. Obviously that would have to change if he wanted to keep spending time with Vex. It was only fair.

“Really though, Percy, I’m not going to kill you.” Vax’s voice breaks through his thoughts. “I’m just not interested in being privy to the details of your love life when it involves my sister.”

Relieved, Percy smiles. Vex nudges him with her toes again and he grabs one of her feet. He doesn’t even care when she leaves later that morning with his shirt. He has to run to the lab to finish a project, but he does it with a little more of a spring in his step.

The library still ought to be quieter. He’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written a fic this long in ages, and I'm not counting the chaptered stuff. I also haven't written this much so fast?? Thanks canon. 
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, I always accept prompts and coffees at my tumblr (buckysleftarm)!


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